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While cleaning my Savage 99(577xxx)EG, and attempting to remove the firing pin from the breech bolt assembly, a small
coil spring(3/8") fell into my hand. I assume it came from the breech bolt assembly, but am not sure. According to the exploded part diagram, it is #44a, the hammer retractor spring.
Could someone point me in the right direction, as to how to get this part back where it belongs.
Thanks

It goes on top of he firing pin. As you put the firing pin back in the bolt, the small spring sits on top and parallel to the firing pin. If you look at the bolt where the firing pin goes in you'll see the small recess where the small spring fits.

Put the small spring in the recess just as the last 1/2 inch or so of the firing pin is being pushed into the bolt.

As mw406 said.. and keep that spring away from cats. One of mine popped out once and it took me 3 days to find the things.

Also, this writeup has faults, but overall might help you.

Welcome to the forum!

http://www.gunreports.com/special_r...on-Savage-Model-Hunting-Rifles167-1.html

Thanks mw406 & Calhoun for pointing me in the right direction.
What exactly is the function of the spring? I re-assembled without it, waiting for a solution to my question, and firearm functioned correctly. Although, I did notice when dry firing, that the alignment of sear on the ear of the firing pin, did not line up correctly. Much appreciated.

Keeps the firing pin from protuding out the front of the bolt.

Thanks again Calhoun. I stripped it down and insert the little bugger in it's proper place, and all is right once again.

The gift that keeps on giving. Same thing happened to me today on the .300 Sav, cleaning the firing pin. Thanks mw406! If you're anywhere near Bozeman or Whitefish, dessert is on me at Zydeco's or Tupelo Grill. Let me know, Chris

99s are the picture of simplicity to tear down and reassemble........as long as you know where everything goes.

mullet key, no problem. Actually I think Savage put those little springs in here as some kind of sick joke.

I think I will go to Cafe Zydeco for lunch today. One of their shrimp po-boys sounds pretty tasty right now.

Challenged by this thread, I broke my 99EG bolt down. I have no spring in mine, though there is the recess and obviously it was there at one time.

How can I get a replacement one of these for mine?

The only danger I can see is when levering a fresh cartridge. If the firing pin is protruding, I suppose it could pop the primer before the action is closed. Unlikely, since there is no pressure behind the firing pin, but I guess it's a possibility. Anyway, I want the rifle complete (and safe), so I need one of these.

I have 1 left. Drop me a PM if you want it.

PM sent, Lightfoot.

Numrich had them at one time. Don't know if they still do or now.

If I understand the setup right, here's what i see: The real danger of running without that little spring is that if you bump the muzzle hard enough with a round chambered. Like a bayonet thrust kind of move, ending in a sharp rap. Or dropping the weapon on its muzzle accidentally.
Then that heavy firing pin might have enough inertia, without the spring to stop it, to set off a chambered round.

I might be wrong, but I don;t think that's a danger, Zooka. It could be, but in that case it would be due to faulty sear/hammer contact.... like somebody, working on the trigger pull weight or creep, took too much metal off. Then, with the rifle cocked, if you bumped the rifle hard enough, the sear would let the hammer go and the pin would go full-force against the cartridge just as if you had pulled the trigger (I had a Savage 58D shotgun that used to do that just as the bolt closed. A faulty sear - That was scary!)

The reason I say this is because once the hammer is cocked, I think the sear is now in charge holding the mainspring and firing pin back. At this point, the little hammer retractor spring is innefectual, even when it's in there where it's supposed to be. It's sole purpose is to hold the firing pin just back inside the bolt head when the hammer and sear have not yet made contact. In other words, it's just helping out a little until the sear takes over.

The only danger I can see is before the rifle is cocked . When the lever is down and the bolt is fully rearward, the mainspring/firing pin assembly is free floating inside the bolt (that is, free floating because my hammer retractor spring is missing!). Now, in actual operation: say the bolt is withdrawn, the empty case ejected, and the bolt is moving forward picking up a new cartridge (before there is contact between sear and hammer). At that point, the pin could protrude and, maybe, just maybe, pop the primer. Although, as I said earlier, it doesn;t seem there would be anything holding the pin protruding from the bolt and, when it contacted the primer, it should just slide easily rearward back inside the bolt. I think that's right, anyway.

I've been studying this little "problem" today and I just realized something else. Assuming the little hammer return spring is missing (like mine is) and, as the bolt is being levered forward, the firing pin is protruding from the bolt face. Well, when picking up the next cartridge in the magazine, the bottom of the bolt first contacts the upper rim of the cartridge. In normal operation, as the bolt is moving forward, the cartridge is sliding forward and upward, moving it's way into postition in the bolt face as it is being pushed into the breech.

What I just realized is: IF the firing pin is protruding from the bolt face, the rear of the new cartridge cannot slide upward where it belongs. The top of the rim will hit the firing pin. So the cartridge will be being pushed into the chamber but the pin will not contact the primer. When the sear finally contacts the hammer, the firing pin will be pulled back inside the bolt, and the cartridge head can then slide upward into its proper position in the bolt face, just before bolt lockup.

It can;t contact the primer!! Or.....am I missing something? I'm probably over-explaining this. You guys probably already know this and I'm just now realizing it.